To read an in-depth analysis of this story in the latest edition of The Clanfield & Horndean Post on sale at Costcutter and the Co-op in Clanfield

Operation Mons - Man Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison After Being Found Guilty Of Committing 47 Burglaries And 4 Attempted Burglaries In Hampshire And West Sussex. 22/07/2016 11:33:09 [151458]

Information sent on behalf of The Police

Message sent byJames Pusey (Police, Corporate Communications, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight)james.pusey.16028@hampshire.pnn.police.uk We wanted to let you know about a good court result from this morning.

Today (Friday, July 22) a 58 year-old man from Chichester has been sentenced to 8 years in prison following an extensive investigation into a series of burglaries in Hampshire and West Sussex between October and December 2014.

Items including high value jewellery and cash were taken from homes in Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Chichester, Waterlooville, Fareham, and Portsmouth.

Albert Ian James of Mill Road Crescent, Donnington, Chichester, was found guilty by a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court on June 20, and was sentenced at the same court today. The jury took four and a half hours to reach their unanimous verdict. The Judge described James' offences during sentencing as: "a campaign of highly professional burglaries".

Investigating officer DS Simon Clacey who oversaw the entire investigation said: "We faced many challenges in identifying James as the suspect responsible for the burglaries. Ultimately it was the culmination of circumstantial evidence which convicted James of the offences.

"Due to the quantity of burglaries DC Rebecca Brown was identified as the lead officer for Hampshire Constabulary and DC Jon Woolley for Sussex Police. Becky and Jon deserve a special mention as they worked tirelessly over the 20 month investigation to secure justice for James' victims. I would like to personally commend their dedication to the investigation.

"This was a very challenging investigation due to lack of forensic and direct evidence, the number of, and geographic distance between the offences. However today's result shows how seriously the courts take burglaries like these, making this a very rewarding investigation to have worked on, as I'm confident James' victims will be satisfied with the sentence he has been given".